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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/24273514">all you have to do is knock</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/laeveleve/pseuds/laeveleve'>laeveleve</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Voltron: Legendary Defender</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Canon Universe, Getting Together, Keith/Lance (Voltron) Fluff, Lots of it, M/M, Mutual Pining, Pining Lance (Voltron), Socially Awkward Keith (Voltron), Touch-Starved Keith (Voltron), hand holding</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-05-19</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-05-19</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-03 00:20:01</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>5,186</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/24273514</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/laeveleve/pseuds/laeveleve</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>In which Keith is socially awkward, and Lance just really wants to be close to him.</p><p>-</p><p>The lighting has dimmed a little as the planet’s sun sinks below the horizon outside, but Lance can still see the flecks of silver in Keith’s eyes; the few, faint freckles across his cheekbones — he’s infuriatingly pretty, and Lance hates it.</p><p>The music has slowed even further, now, and Keith relaxes to its soft rhythm, tucking himself closer to Lance. His hair is so long where it falls over his eyes that Lance is practically breathing it in, and in a moment of mindless impulse he takes his hand from Keith’s waist and brushes it back so that he can’t hide his face behind it. </p><p>Keith squints at him, and Lance flushes. “It’s like dancing with a mop.” He grumbles, and Keith snorts.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Keith &amp; Lance (Voltron), Keith/Lance (Voltron)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>29</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>403</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>all you have to do is knock</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>When Lance finally decides that he’s going to be Keith’s friend (whether the Red Paladin likes it or not), he’s prepared for the fight of his life.</p><p>After all, Keith is not exactly what Lance would call warm and cuddly, and trying to work a genuine conversation out of him is like trying to staple water to a tree. It’s not easy. In fact, it’s damned near impossible, but Lance’s mama didn’t raise a quitter. </p><p>He wants Keith to be his friend, so he will be. </p><p>And, to Lance’s endless surprise, it’s actually... not that hard. </p><p>He feels a little guilty now, honestly. Because it’s quite clear that the thing that was holding them back from skipping away into the sunset together was Lance himself. </p><p>And Keith, well — Keith is actually a cool guy. Socially inept, definitely, and completely oblivious half the time, but Lance has slowly come to realise that he really just doesn’t know how to have fun. </p><p>But when Lance starts making an effort — greeting him in the mornings, asking if he slept well, training with him, inviting him to hang out after training — Keith really starts to open up. </p><p>(Not that isn’t weird, at first; the first time Lance makes a special effort to greet Keith in the morning, he practically yells it across the dining hall, and Keith promptly trips in surprise and throws his plate of food goo all over Hunk.) </p><p>Once the awkwardness passes, though, Lance really starts to appreciate Keith’s company. He’s quiet, sometimes, and attentive enough to listen to Lance rattle on about random shit for hours; sometimes he’s more talkative, and they’ll back and forth as naturally as Lance would with Hunk or Pidge.</p><p>It takes months for Lance to finally hit the physical contact stage of their relationship, though. Not because Lance doesn’t want to touch Keith. He’s a touchy guy. </p><p>It’s more about how the first time he hugged Keith after a dangerous mission, he ended up in a headlock. The only one who can really touch him idly is Shiro, a hand on the shoulder or a playful shove — otherwise Keith’s as jumpy as anything. </p><p>So.</p><p>Mission One: Becoming Keith’s Friend was a glowing success. As for Mission Two: Initiating Physical Contact with Keith... that one might be a little more tricky. </p><p>Whatever. </p><p>Lance has time, and all the patience in the universe. </p><p>-</p><p>He starts off small, real small; a tap on the shoulder to get Keith’s attention, a hand on his arm to congratulate him after a difficult mission. </p><p>One day, when he’s feeling extra bold after a successful training session, he knocks their shoulders together playfully, and Keith stumbles a little but he grins. </p><p>And, damn, if that doesn’t throw Lance for a loop. </p><p>He needs to see that smile again. </p><p>Lance thinks it’s time to bring it up a notch.</p><p>Hand-to-hand contact seems like a safe bet, he muses one night as the team curls up in the common area to watch an Altean movie Pidge managed to download. (Spoiler alert: it’s boring as all hell.)</p><p>Keith is sitting on his right, watching the movie with feigned half-interest. His left hand is resting beside him on the sofa, and Lance watches it out of the corner of his eye. </p><p>He’s desperately trying to calculate his chances of this going horrifically wrong — like, Keith flipping him over the back of the sofa by his hand kinda wrong — but he’s not exactly the best at maths, and his fingers are twitching to reach out and grab Keith’s hand in that stupid fingerless glove. </p><p>So, he does. </p><p>He’s slow about it, making sure Keith feels his fingers against his own to gauge his reaction before he slips his palm beneath Keith’s and entwines their fingers without looking over.</p><p>When he finally does, Keith has given up on watching the movie and is staring intently down at their connected hands as if he’s expecting them to burst into flames at any second.</p><p>When their hands don’t spontaneously combust, he slowly returns to watching the movie, but Lance can spot the tiniest smile playing at the corner of his lips, and it never dulls for the rest of the night.</p><p>Another win for Lance. </p><p>Just to be sure, though, he tries it again; this time they’re eating dinner, and Keith’s left hand is beside his hip at the edge of his chair. </p><p>Switching his fork to his left hand, Lance reaches out beneath the table and twists his pinky finger around Keith’s. </p><p>Keith’s knee jerks so hard it thuds against the underside of the table, and he freezes; but he doesn’t let go. </p><p>This time, Lance is brave enough to look his way, and when their eyes meet, he blesses Keith with his warmest smile. Keith absolutely flushes, his cheeks darkening, and he turns his gaze urgently back to his food. </p><p>Though, Lance muses, there’s that little smile again. </p><p>After that, it kind of becomes a habit. Lance is undeniably a little addicted to the way Keith’s face lights up with bashful delight when he twists their fingers together, so he does it more and more, until every time they’re standing close enough together to hold hands, Lance is reaching out unabashedly. </p><p>Still, he’s always the one to initiate it; until today.</p><p>That is, today: the aftermath of a dangerous mission, during which Lance narrowly missed being crushed by a tunnel collapse on planet Dartham. Shiro’s giving them their mission debrief, and Keith shifts imperceptibly closer to Lance’s side — then, he’s reaching out and taking Lance’s hand in one fluid motion. He squeezes his hand once, and Lance gets it — Keith is telling him that he’s glad he’s okay. </p><p>When the debrief is over, and the room clears out, neither of them move. When a complete and total silence has fallen around them, Keith turns to Lance and smiles. </p><p>Lance can tell he wants to say something. “You good, Keith?” He asks, and grazes his thumb gently across the back of the Red Paladin’s hand. </p><p>Keith frowns. “Am I okay?” His eyes search Lance’s face for a response. “Lance, you could have died.” </p><p>“It was no biggie.” Lance assures him, shrugging.</p><p>“Lance, come on.” The way Keith says his name has him weak. He’s looking at Lance like he’s genuinely really worried, and suddenly Lance realises that he would fight Zarkon in hand-to-hand fucking combat just to see him smile again.  </p><p>Lance smiles, weakly. “It was rough, okay? The mission was rough, but I’m really okay. I just... I think I just wanna sleep it off.” </p><p>Keith squeezes his hand again, and nods. “Yeah. Okay.” He tugs Lance in the direction of their rooms by his hand, and the whole situation is making Lance’s head spin, because Keith is being so gentle with him. He’s smiling back at Lance over his shoulder, and Lance stumbles toward him. </p><p>They walk silently to their rooms, and when they reach Lance’s door he doesn’t want to let go of Keith’s hand. </p><p>They have to part at some point, Lance is telling himself. Because he’s sure that Keith isn’t ready for the cuddling in bed stage, though Lance is fighting the urge to tug Keith into his room and wrap his arms around him and never let him go. And that’s normal, right? It’s not like he’s never cuddled platonically with Hunk. (Not Pidge, though; they’d rip his arms off if he even tried.) </p><p>Somehow though, it feels different with Keith. Lance isn’t sure he wants to get into why that is.</p><p>Keith turns as he reaches Lance’s door and smiles. “Goodnight, Lance.” He says, then he’s slipping his hand away and walking down the corridor to his room. </p><p>When Lance’s door rushes closed behind him, and he’s in the safe isolation of his room, he buries his head in his hand and groans. Keith is decidedly not supposed to have that effect on his heart rate — and yet, all he has to do is smile and Lance’s knees feel weak. </p><p>And oh, if that doesn’t spell trouble.</p><p>-</p><p>Irregardless of how Keith’s gentle voice and dark eyes can now flip Lance’s stomach a full three-sixty degrees, Lance is not a monster; he’s determined not to pull away from Keith, no matter how intense or confusing his feelings end up being. </p><p>And besides, it’s not like he has the willpower to actually avoid the Red Paladin. He’s drawn to him irrevocably, like a moth to a flame, and almost constantly finds himself by Keith’s side during their team gatherings. </p><p>He never even finished his second mission, and he’s not giving up on it simply because he’s starting to wish he could close that careful space between the words ‘boy’ and ‘friend’. </p><p>Because Lance is not a monster.</p><p>Keith needs a friend, and Lance isn’t going to stop being one just because he’s a hopeless romantic who turns to jelly when a pretty boy says his name a certain way.</p><p>No. He’s continuing exactly as he was. </p><p>Which leaves him here: planet Uraak, a planet which team Voltron very recently liberated from Galra rule. </p><p>Planet Uraak is throwing them a party tonight, and Lance is positively quaking with excitement. In fact, he’s so lost imagining pulling Keith onto the dance floor by his hand that he misses most of their meeting with Uraak’s Queen. When it’s over, Lance remains staring intently into space as the room empties out, and Pidge pinches him hard on the arm. </p><p>“Ow! What the hell?” Lance cries, rubbing at the flesh they grabbed. </p><p>“Meeting’s over, dumbass. You were daydreaming like, the entire time.” Pidge tells him. “You might wanna get your ass in gear if you wanna be ready for the party tonight. It starts in three hours, and I know how long it takes you to take a shower.” </p><p>Lance scoffs like he’s offended, but they’re exactly right. He’s going to put way too much time into his appearance tonight in the hopes of dancing with a boy who’s about as romantically inclined as a rock. (A real one, that is; from what Hunk’s told him, Shay is actually pretty romantic.)</p><p>It’s not like he can help it. He aims to impress. </p><p>And tonight, he’s going to knock all their socks off. </p><p>-</p><p>As soon as Lance sees Keith, standing in the open hallway of the castle where they’re meeting to head over to the party, there’s a voice in his head screaming at him to ABORT MISSION, immediately. </p><p>How exactly is this fair? </p><p>Lance spent thirty full minutes in the shower tonight. He’s scrubbed every inch of his body. He knows he looks damn good in the formalwear Coran provided for him; fitted black trousers sitting high on his waist and a deep blue shirt. </p><p>But Keith... Keith is unfairly good-looking, and he doesn’t even try. He’s actually got his hair tied back into a little ponytail, and Lance is just so upset about it.</p><p>He becomes so focused on watching Keith’s ass in those tight pants that he walks directly into Hunk’s back. </p><p>In fact, he doesn’t really come to his senses again until Keith slips back to his side as they approach the Queen’s castle, casting a tense smile in his direction. </p><p>Lance almost slaps himself. Here he is, drooling all over Keith, while the boy in question is probably looking for his support. Keith’s not as much of an enigma now — he always sticks by someone at these diplomatic parties, rarely wanders off on his own. He’s socially awkward, and looking to Lance now for company, and, well — Lance can take the spotlight with the best of them. </p><p>That’s all Keith needs. Someone to do the talking for him. Lance is pretty confident that he can.</p><p>They arrive promptly on time at the Uraakian palace, and are swept in immediately. The room they’re in is amazing — high ceilings and white walls decorated with artworks and hanging plant pots. Lance feels Keith’s elbow knock his as he shifts further into his space. </p><p>The party isn’t wild, exactly, but it’s far less distinguished than some of the ones they’ve been too previously. The Uraakians seem to appreciate good music, to Lance’s delight — in the centre of the room couples are already gathering, spinning eachother around the floor with practiced movements. </p><p>Lance remembers vaguely Allura mentioning how the Uraakians are a people with a vested interest in the arts — looking at what they’ve put together now, it’s not exactly hard to believe. </p><p>He’s still taking in their surroundings when Keith slips a hand into the crook of his elbow, trying to catch his attention. “Do you, uh... Do you mind if I stick with you?” </p><p>Lance smiles, and sticks out his elbow — Keith frowns; but, for all his obliviousness to social cues, he seems to get it, and he threads his arm fully to link with Lance’s.</p><p>“Don’t worry. I got your back.” </p><p>They’re technically here for diplomatic reasons, of course (trying to recruit planet Uraak into the Voltron Alliance and all that), so they have to make the rounds and talk to a few people before Lance can make his move and pull Keith onto the dancefloor.</p><p>Once Lance is confident they’ve done their duty admirably, he tugs Keith over to one of the vacant tables at the edge of the room. Keith looks relieved to be away from the crowd, and he slumps into the chair beside Lance’s with a huff.</p><p>“I’m no good at this diplomacy shit. I’m here to fight a war, why do I have to be good at both?”</p><p>Lance laughs. “Don’t worry about it. You know Shiro and Allura do the bulk of that stuff, we’re just here to look pretty and represent Voltron.” </p><p>“Yeah, I guess you’re right.” Keith is looking over at the dancefloor, where Allura is (quite hopelessly) attempting to teach Pidge how to do some Altean dance — judging by the grimaces on the Princess’ face, she’s already had her toes stepped on more than once. </p><p>This is his chance. Lance stands abruptly and holds out his hand, and Keith looks up at him with wide eyes. “C’mon, let’s dance.”</p><p>“Lance, I really don’t think—“</p><p>“Nope, not getting out of this. Come on, up you get.” Lance grabs Keith’s hand and tugs.</p><p>“I thought you were going to help me not to embarrass myself!” Keith hisses as Lance leads him into the floor and spins back to face him. </p><p>Lance rolls his eyes, lifting Keith’s hand to deposit it on his shoulder. “You’re not going to embarrass yourself. I’m great at dancing, and I’m gonna teach you.” </p><p>Keith frowns, but he doesn’t argue, so Lance considers it a win. The Red Paladin flinches a little under his grasp when Lance finds his waist, and he’s tense as anything as he begins to slowly rotate them around the floor. He’s staring at his feet, eyebrows furrowed as he concentrates on not tripping over Lance. He squeezes Keith’s hand. “Hey. Stop overthinking it. You know how to fight, I know you’re not clumsy.” </p><p>Keith’s adam’s apple visibly bobs as he gulps and looks up, meeting Lance’s gaze for the first time since they started dancing and — woah, they’re close together. </p><p>The lighting has dimmed a little as Uraak’s sun sinks below the horizon outside, but Lance can still see the flecks of silver in Keith’s eyes; the few, faint freckles across his cheekbones — he’s infuriatingly pretty, and Lance hates it.</p><p>The music has slowed even further, now, and Keith relaxes to its soft rhythm, tucking himself closer to Lance. His hair is so long where it falls over his eyes that Lance is practically breathing it in, and in a moment of mindless impulse he takes his hand from Keith’s waist and brushes it back so that he can’t hide his face behind it. </p><p>Keith squints at him, and Lance flushes. “It’s like dancing with a mop.” He grumbles, and Keith snorts. </p><p>“Well, you wanted this.” </p><p>Lance grins. “Yeah. You’re right, I did.” </p><p>They dance until both their feet hurt, and Keith gets knee cramp, and even then they stumble off the dancefloor together with their hands clasped together. </p><p>They find a seat at a table with Pidge and Hunk, and Keith squeezes his hand before he slips away to find the bathroom. As soon as he’s out of earshot, Pidge leans conspiratorially across the table toward Lance. “So... What’s going on there?”</p><p>Lance flushes. “I have absolutely no idea what you’re talking about. Not a clue. Nope.”</p><p>“C’mon Lance, you know you can’t keep a secret from me.” Hunk whines. “I thought we were best bros.” And then he frowns, looking all heartbroken, and Lance cracks.</p><p>“Okay! I get it!” He hisses. “I promise you Keith and I aren’t dating. We’re just...” Lance squints at nothing. “Actually, I don’t know what we are.”</p><p>“But you have a crush on him, right?” Pidge looks like she’s fighting a grin. Hunk’s gaze is flickering between Pidge and Lance, as if he’s waiting for one of them to break.</p><p>Lance... Well, whatever Lance attempts to say at that point comes out as a blustered mess of an sentence, entirely intelligible, and Pidge’s grin widens like that’s all they need to hear. “Knew it.” </p><p>He’s already lost — nothing Lance says is going to hide the obvious now. He drops his head onto the table with a thud. “Okay, fine. I may have the tiniest little thing for Keith.” </p><p>“Ew, Lance, we don’t need to hear about your dick.” Pidge deadpans, and Lance briefly considers throwing his drink at them. It must show on his face, too, because Pidge raises their hands in surrender. “Okay, sorry, that’s on me. But really, this is great, Lance.”</p><p>“No, it isn’t! I’m pining for a guy who probably thinks that the word ‘romance’ came from the name of his favourite vintage rock band!” </p><p>Pidge says, “Keith likes My Chemical Romance?”, but Hunk leans in front of them before Lance can actually throw his drink this time. “Buddy, c’mon. Keith was so busy staring into your eyes tonight that he didn’t see Shiro get tangled in a tapestry and fall into a potted plant.” </p><p>Pidge interjects to mention that they totally caught the whole thing on camera (which is one less thing for Lance to worry about), and Lance frowns at Hunk. “You think he likes me?”</p><p>Hunk smiles, in that kind, supportive way he has. “Yeah, man, I really think he does.”</p><p>Lance doesn’t even have time to recover from that before Keith is sliding back into his chair beside him, grumbling something about how the only bathroom is at the far end of what might be the universe’s longest corridor. Lance listens as he complains, head resting in his palm with a dopy grin, and Keith catches his gaze. “What?”</p><p>Lance smiles, and reaches out to take the Red Paladin’s hand. “Nothin’.” </p><p>Keith blushes, but he shrugs as if he’s trying to be nonchalant, and turns back to Pidge and Hunk to continue their conversation.</p><p>Lance watches him like he’s the best movie he’s ever seen.</p><p>When the party is finally over, the team regroups to make their way back to the castle, and Lance drops Keith off outside his room. Their hands are still fused.</p><p>Keith turns to him with a smile, rubs his thumb across the back of his hand, and says, “Thank you for tonight.” </p><p>Then, because Keith’s definitely trying to kill him, he reaches forward and brushes his lips against Lance’s cheek. “Goodnight, Lance.” He breathes, directly in his ear, then he turns away and is vanishing into his room. </p><p>Lance stands there for five minutes before he finally stumbles down the corridor to his own room just next door. When he falls into bed, all he can think about is the soft pressure of Keith’s mouth against his cheekbone.</p><p>And, yeah, he’s totally screwed.</p><p>-</p><p>After that night, Lance can’t resist kicking this whole thing up a notch. The hand-holding was one thing, but Keith kissed him. </p><p>Only on the cheek, sure, but Keith was never one to initiate physical contact like that. He’d only started taking Lance’s hand and touching him casually when Lance had taken the initiative and done it first. </p><p>Keith is finally opening up to him, and Lance is absolutely buzzing about it. </p><p>The list of casual new contact with Keith is growing ever longer, and Lance treasures it like the taste of his mama’s garlic knots in the back of his mind. </p><p>Like this: the other day, Allura woke them up at five AM to run drills, and Lance was just barely awake when he walked onto the training deck. Before he even had the chance to wonder whether it was a bad idea, he’d marched over to Keith — standing with his back to Lance as he spoke with Shiro — and wrapped his arms around him, burying his face in the crook of his neck. “G’morning.” Lance grunted into his skin. </p><p>Keith had just chuckled under his breath, said “Good morning, Lance”. Shiro was holding his head in an exaggerated bow to hide his smile, but his shoulders were shaking just a little. </p><p>And again: last night, another movie night, and Lance had given in to temptation half way through the movie, tucking himself as close into Keith’s side as he physically could, head resting on his shoulder. He couldn’t see Keith’s face, but Lance is pretty sure he was smiling. </p><p>Bringing them finally to this morning: one of their rare days off. They ran drills all day yesterday, and there’s a big mission coming up, so Allura had told them to take the day off. </p><p>And Lance has the perfect day off planned. </p><p>Pidge lent him one of her computers; the one with the weird Altean movies downloaded onto it, and he fully intends to weep his way through the entire romance section. He’s even raided the storeroom and stolen a generous bunch of extra pillows and blankets, now piled up inside the alcove in which his bed sits. </p><p>He’s just settling in to his pillow nest when there’s a knock at the door, and Lance curses under his breath. If this is Coran recruiting him to clean the healing pods again...</p><p>But when he responds, and the door opens, it’s not Coran who’s standing in the doorway — it’s Keith, and he’s carrying a plate of something. </p><p>“Hey, uh — Hunk made cookies, I told him I’d bring you some.” Keith says. He glances over Lance, buried in a heap of blankets, laptop sitting on a table at the end of his bed, and asks, “What are you doing?”</p><p>“I’m having a movie day.” Lance says, and he beckons Keith over. “And it just keeps getting better and better. Thanks, man.”</p><p>Keith is peering down at the blanket mound when he hands Lance the plate, and Lance’s resolve vanishes into mist. “Do you... Wanna join me?” </p><p>Keith’s face is a little pink already. “In... In there?” </p><p>“Yeah, man.” Lance shuffles over so that he’s pressed against the wall and lifts the blanket across his lap. “Come on. But take off the belt. I’m not getting accidentally stabbed in my own bed.” </p><p>Keith’s wearing some kind of alien sweatpants he picked up, and the same dark grey t-shirt he usually wears. (Lance is infinitely glad about this, because bed is a no-jeans zone, and the thought of Keith in his bed in either his underwear or Lance’s own clothes makes him sweat.) </p><p>Nodding, Keith unclips the ridiculous toolbelt and places it on Lance’s desk, then crawls beneath the blanket beside him. Lance lifts his arm and tucks Keith beneath it, pulling him against his side. </p><p>They share the cookies throughout the movie, the plate balanced precariously on Lance’s knees. At the end of the movie, when the Altean couple have finished their duel-to-the-almost-death and kissed, Keith snorts with laughter from his position under Lance’s arm. </p><p>“Are you laughing?” Lance accuses, as the shaking against his side grows more insistent. He’s been fighting away tears this whole time to not embarrass himself in front of his crush, and Keith has the nerve, the audacity—</p><p>“Sorry.” Keith sounds decidedly not-sorry. Lance squeezes him beneath his arm. “Really, I’m sorry!” There’s another snort of laughter, and Lance moves the empty plate from his lap and tightens the arm around Keith, tugging it around his neck to hold him in a headlock. That only makes it worse, though, and Keith is honest to God sitting here cackling like a maniac. </p><p>“It’s not funny you animal!” Lance protests, but there’s a hint of a laugh edging its way into his voice. Arm still around his shoulders, he shoves Keith down the bed and onto his back, pressing his body into his chest as he tries to stifle Keith’s laughter. </p><p>Keith’s eyes are closed, and his nose is scrunched, and Lance thinks he’s the most glorious thing he’s ever seen, even when he shoves his hands up and into Lance’s face to push him away. Lance scrambles with both hands now, and he finds both of Keith’s forearms and holds them over his head against the pillow. “I can’t believe we watched a romance movie and you laughed.”</p><p>Keith’s maniacal cackles finally dissolve into small hiccups of laughter, and he shakes his head wildly, splaying his hair across Lance’s pillow. “I know! I said I’m sorry.” </p><p>Lance tuts. “You’re not actually sorry, though, are you?”</p><p>Keith meets Lance’s eyes, and his gaze softens. “Not at all.” </p><p>Lance freezes, and Keith uses that opportunity to wrench his arms from his grasp and shove him off. He doesn’t go far, though, and he pulls Keith back into his body with an arm around his shoulders. “You are such an ass.” Lance breathes into the thick mess of his hair.</p><p>Snorting a laugh, Keith pulls back to look Lance in the eye. “Yeah.” </p><p>He’s doing that thing again, Lance laments tormentedly. That thing with his softest voice, and those big dark eyes, and the playful grin that makes Lance feel like his stomach is doing somersaults. Lance wants to kiss him until his lips are sore.</p><p>Keith is still looking at him. He’s not looking away. Lance goes to say something, but he’s barely opened his mouth when Keith beats him to the punch; whispers, “Hey, Lance?”</p><p>Lance hums his acknowledgement. “Hmm?”</p><p>Keith is chewing his lip — is he nervous? — but his voice is steady when he says, “Are you ever going to kiss me?”</p><p>Apparently Lance freezes, because then Keith is backtracking, saying something about getting all this wrong, and stupid social cues; and then he’s pulling away, and Lance can’t thing of a single fucking word to say — fuck — he can’t think of a word to say, so he cups Keith’s jaw in his hand and presses their lips together desperately.</p><p>It’s a little stiff, but Lance is making a circular motion with his thumb against Keith’s cheek and sucking on his lower lip, and Keith melts into it, opening his mouth and reaching out to card his fingers through Lance’s hair.</p><p>Lance’s other arm is still trapped between them, and well — it’s no use to Lance there, so in the next moment he finds himself flattening Keith onto his back and positioning himself completely over him, reaching up with his left hand to take Keith’s hair in his hand. </p><p>It’s soft. He’s been wanting to do this for far too long. </p><p>Lance thinks he might be melting, or maybe he’s blacking out; Keith actually moans into his mouth, tugging him closer.</p><p>He’s thinking absently that they should stay horizontal like this forever — Voltron can find two new Paladins — but the more logical part of Lance’s brain says: Hey, I know you’re horny, but maybe you should talk about this.</p><p>Of course, Lance may be lovestruck, but he’s still an ass; when he pulls away from Keith, far enough that the Red Paladin is forced to give up chasing after his lips, he grins and says, “So, you got a crush on me, Mullet?” </p><p>Keith punches him hard on the shoulder. “You kissed me!” He protests. </p><p>“Because you asked me to!” </p><p>“And I’m starting to regret it.” Keith growls, but there’s no bite to it, and Lance crowds over him with a smirk.</p><p>“I’ll make it worth your while.” </p><p>“I have no doubt.” Keith reaches for his mouth, and Lance presses two fingers against the middle of his chest to hold him back. Keith is frowning at those two fingers, all confused-like, as if the force of his gaze will make them disappear. </p><p>“Wait — before we go back to that.” Lance sighs, and relents with his fingers to take Keith’s face in his palm. “I want you to know that I really like you, Keith. For real. And I really do want to make out with you for hours but I also wanna take you on dates and hold your hand and cuddle you while we watch stupid Altean movies.” </p><p>“We already do half those things.” Keith points out, and his face is flushed.</p><p>Lance shakes his head, but he’s smiling. “It’s different. Because now, I’d like to do them as your boyfriend. If that’s... You know. What you’d want.” </p><p>Turning his head minutely, Keith presses a kiss to the centre of Lance’s palm where it’s still resting against his cheek. “Of course that’s what I want. I want you.”</p><p>“You can’t just say things like that.” Lance groans, and buries his face in Keith’s chest. “I’m supposed to be the smooth one, you’re supposed to be the one who gets flustered when I flirt with you.”</p><p>Keith chuckles. “Oh yeah?” He slides his hands to Lance’s cheeks and and pulls him back up so they’re face-to-face again. “Lance, you’re beautiful.” He says, his voice soft.</p><p>And that’s just... not fair. Lance collapses back against his boyfriend — his boyfriend! — with a whine. “Keeeeith.”</p><p>He feels Keith wind his arms back around him, holding him close, and he breathes a sigh into the cotton of his t-shirt. They lay there for a moment, basking in the quiet of Lance’s bedroom; when Lance finally props himself back up, and hovers over Keith’s face again, the Red Paladin cracks open one eye to look up at the cause of the shadow behind his eyelids. </p><p>Lance presses a kiss to his mouth. “Hey there handsome.”</p><p>“Hi.” Keith croaks. He still looks nervous, but his eyes are shining, and Lance wants to kiss that smile — so he does.</p><p>Again, and again, and again, until Keith is laughing and shoving playfully at him and they’re tumbling off the side of Lance’s bed in a mass of blankets and pillows, landing in a heap on the floor. </p><p>They stop laughing enough to climb back into bed together, and Keith tugs their bodies as close as they’re able to be, hiding his face in the crook of Lance’s neck. And before Lance succumbs to unconsciousness, the last thing he thinks is how this might be his most successful mission yet.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>thank you for reading!</p><p>this is actually the first fic i’ve ever finished (and uploaded to anywhere rather than just staying hidden in my Notes app) so i’d appreciate any feedback :)</p><p>- leo</p><p>ig: @nebuleos</p></blockquote></div></div>
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